The Federal Bureau of Investigation Essay Example for Free

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Essay In the late 19th century, 1886 precisely, it was discovered by the Supreme Court that the United States intestate commerce was un-regulated. Consequently, it became a Federal responsibility to fill up this vacuum. This gave birth to the 1887 Interstate Commerce Act. This act needed personnel to enforce it, but the Justice department had a shortage of investigators. Hence, the Attorney General then, Charles Joseph, took the initiative of plunging into other agencies like secret service for investigators. However, the congress frowned on this development of using Treasury staff as investigators and they promptly passed a law against this in 1870 (Kessler, 2006). The Attorney had no other option than to embark on an inception of ad-hoc investigators, so he hurriedly put together a formal group of investigators, which was named Bureau Of Investigators (BOI), with agents supplied by the secret service. These agents that became the first set of BOI agents were 12 in number. BOI later metamorphosized into FBI, invariably meaning that the first set of FBI agents were actually agents from Secret Service agents. (Timeline of FBI History) As expected, the BOI was christened several names until it was eventually named FBI. It was given the name the United States Bureau of Investigation in 1932. In the preceding year, it was adapted to the Bureau of Prohibition and renamed the Division of Investigation (DOI), until finally in 1935 it became the FBI. (Timeline of FBI History). The bureau started with precisely 34 agents, out of which 10 were agents from the secret service. In 1932, the first FBI laboratory was opened officially in order to facilitate scientific crime detection, under the directorship of J. Edgar Hoover, the first FBI director, who was formerly the director of BOI, the mother of FBI. Edgar served as a director for over 47 years and immediately after his death, a law was passed to limit the tenure of directors of FBI to a maximum of 10 years. (Timeline of FBI History) Edgar was quite articulate, he did not only champion the FBI laboratory, that developed DNA testing and pioneered identification using fingerprinting system in 1924, he was personally involved in many of the assignments and project executed by the FBI. The first official tasks these agents were assigned was to enforce The White Slave Traffic Act of June 25, 1910. (Timeline of FBI History). The agents were visiting and surveying prostitution houses. During these early years, the FBI’s jurisdiction was constrained simply because most of the investigations were already assigned to the local police and other law enforcement agencies. It was only given the responsibility of investigating bankruptcy and postal fraud, antitrust violations, destruction of government properties, and other crimes on â€Å"Native America reservation†. The Mann Act, which prohibited the transportation of ladies for prostitution and decadent acts and the Dyer Act, the Vehicle theft law both further empowered the FBI. Many of the criminals that once evaded the local police across the United States were doomed by these laws. The bureau was empowered to bridge the gap across the state where criminals choose and use to disappear from other agencies.   In the1930s, FBI declared war on crime and they achieved a great success for they either apprehended or killed several notorious criminals that were involved in crimes ranging from serial killing, kidnapping, robbing. Criminals like George â€Å"Machine Gun† Kelly, Alvin â€Å"Creepy† Karpis, â€Å"Baby Face† Nelson, to mention only a few, were all caught in the net of FBI.( Timeline of FBI History) All these names will ring a bell to historians of criminal and crimes. Irrespective of the fact that FBI was still in its early years, it succeeded in apprehending the whole revolutionary Mexican army based along the California border in the 1920s. Yet another achievement of the early FBI was the leveling of the strength and influence of the famous â€Å"Ku Klux Klan†, who influenced and sponsored many organized crimes. In later years, between 1940s to1970s, FBI delved into major espionage cases against United States and her allies Nations. These were the years FBI was gaining maturity. Eight Nazi agent plotting sabotage to American goals were arrested, six of them were executed. It was also during this period that the FBI embarked on a Joint US/UK code braking project and the bureau was able to break the â€Å"Soviet Union intelligence and diplomatic communication code†. The bureau had planted spies into the soviet intelligence working underground which must have led to the arrest of the Soviet spy, Rudolf Abel in the year 1957, yet another major early achievement of FBI. (Douglas,2007) Together with all these achievements and progress recorded by the FBI in its early years, there were occasionally allegation of digression from major espionages and crimes. FBI allegedly indulged itself in controversial issues such as probing the affairs of the civil right activists. Leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr T.R.M Howard became the focal point of FBI’s surveillance. During this period, FBI was unable to crack some major murder cases such as the killing of George W. Lee and some other black Americans. Rather than concentrating on major crimes, FBI investigated and upset the activities of political organizations in the United States including non-violent political and civil right groups. Amongst this is the popular Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Unfortunately, many of these individuals and groups could not be connected with any crime, the FBI was even alleged to indulge in blackmail in netting some of its victims. A journalist once claimed that an anonymous letter was sent to Luther King by FBI, advising him to commit suicide. Several individuals have been said to be on the record of FBI, for it investigates and files the record of virtually all the top celebrities and rich man in the United State irrespective of the sphere of life the individual operates in. From the celebrities in the entertainment industry to politicians, academicians and lots more, the FBI has a thoroughly researched document on them all. Among these individuals are: Elvis Presley, the Famous Musician, Walt Disney’s founder, Frank Sinatra, John Denver, John Lennon, Jane Fonda, Groucho Marx, Charlie Chaplin, MC5, Lou Costello, Sonny Bono, Bob Dylan, Mickey Mantle, to mention only but a few. (Douglas,2007 ) Such were the activities of the FBI until the murder of John F. Kennedy. The task and responsibility of investigating the killing of the president of the United State was too enormous for the local police, hence, the new president instructed the FBI to take over the case. This development led to the congress passing a law to back this development up. Therefore, thereafter, the FBI handled all homicides at such level. Till date, FBI has been in charge of investigation of murder of all federal officials. This killing of Kennedy could be said to revive the FBI, for soon after the killing the â€Å"Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act† (RICO ACT) was enacted, which enabled the FBI to dig into organized crimes networks. (Timeline of FBI History)The bureau investigated the popular crime syndicates and families that were fast becoming the brain behind all major crimes in large cities and small towns too. Today, the RICO Act is still used for all organized crime. From1910 to 1996 the congress kept coming up with different types of laws that increasingly focused on and regulated the activities of both individual and organizations, laws regulating political, personal and economic activities of all and sundry. This increasingly regulation kept on bestowing more power to the FBI. Its responsibilities were redefined to include areas that were exclusively left for local law enforcement agents.   Not only was the bureau allowed to handle cases of bank robbery, theft, fraud, gambling etc. The federal laws further empowered the FBI when some laws were enacted that narrowed the scope of privacy right by defining distribution of obscene literatures, migration across state line to indulge in non-marital sexual acts and even speeches and association that threatens the existence of the United State or promotes or protects any foreign interest as criminal. Overly, the FBI was empowered to investigate any individual’s or organization’s activity that is political in nature. These reports serve as intelligence report to the presidency, State, justice, war department and other federal agencies. The bureau does not only help alert and curb crimes, it also helps in implementing loyalty in among federal workers. The bureau is also saddled with the responsibility of disseminating information for the purpose of influencing the public opinion and reducing the powers and influence of political activists. This information dissemination authority was given to the bureau in 1940s and in 1950s, it was further refined into cognate programs. (Douglas,2007) The 1984 Olympic brought another major development in the FBI. (End of cold war,www.fib.com). The bureau formed a unit of selected agents to assist with curbing the major crimes and terrorism that could arise at the 1984 Olympics.   This development was necessary when Athletes from Israel were murdered by terrorists. This team was given the name Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) which later became the SWAT. Again, 1984 the computer Analysis and Response Team (CART) was formed. After the cold war, terrorism was reduced tremendously, this consequently reduced the task of the FBI, hence agents of the bureau were assigned the responsibility of tailing fugitives who have escaped and crossed state lines. In the 1990s, over 300 agents resigned due to fewer activities in the FBI. (End of cold war,www.fib.com)

Anti-Semitism Essay - Martin Luther as Spiritual Icon for Adolf Hitler

Martin Luther as Spiritual Icon for Adolf Hitler   Ã‚   The world has been plagued with the specter of anti-Semitism for many centuries. This hatred manifested itself in the frenzy of Nazism and the deaths of six million Jews, the Holocaust as it has come to be known. If someone were to reveal an eight step plan for the removal of Jews from European society, one would readily associate such a plan with Adolf Hitler. One would not, however, think also of Martin Luther, though he himself wrote an essay in 1543 entitled "Concerning the Jews and their Lies" outlining such a plan. This is not to suggest that Luther was akin to Hitler in action or deed. This does suggest that Luther, the spark of the Protestant Reformation and father of German nationalism, and his teachings had a profound impact on the anti-Semitic thinkers that were to follow (Prager 106). It is possible that Hitler and Luther shared a common ideological base.  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Luther's attitude toward the Jews is puzzling. During the course of his theological writings Luther made a drastic transition from sympathy to hateful paranoia. Very early in his Protestant career Luther wrote an essay entitled "That Jesus Christ Was Born A Jew". In it he calls for tolerance, compassion, and peaceful conversion. "...they [Catholics] have dealt with the Jews as if they were dogs and not human beings" (Luther "That" 33). Luther believed that a purified Christianity, his Christianity, would attract Jews (Patterson 16). Jews could only truly be converted through a demonstration of the scriptural basis of Christianity. A Jew was a person of worth to Luther. Luther asked how Jews could improve his society (Luther "That" 34). Luther called into question those who advocated vi... ...was not constrained by Luther's sense of "merciful severity". Thus, it is unfair to say that Martin Luther was a direct cause of the Holocaust. Rather, Luther's anti-Semitic ideas and proposals provided a fertile soil from which the seeds of new even more horrific visions could germinate and grow into full bloom.    Works Cited Luther, Martin. "Concerning the Jews and their Lies". 1543. Rpt. in Disputation and Dialogue. F.E. Luther ed. New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1975. ---. "That Jesus Christ Was Born a Jew". 1523. Rpt in Disputation and Dialogue. F.E. Luther ed. New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1975. Mosse, George L. Toward the Final Solution. New York: Howard Fertig, 1978. Patterson, Charles. Anti-Semitism. New York: Walker and Company, 1982. Prager, Dennis and Joseph Telushkin. Why the Jews? New York: Simon and Schuster, 1983.   

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 15. WAGER

I STARED AT HIM FOR A LONG MINUTE, SPEECHLESS. I could not think of one thing to say to him. As he watched my dumbfounded expression, the seriousness left his face. â€Å"Okay,† he said, grinning. â€Å"That's all.† â€Å"Jake -† It felt like there was something big sticking in my throat. I tried to clear the obstruction. â€Å"I can't – I mean I don't . . . I have to go.† I turned, but he grabbed my shoulders and spun me around. â€Å"No, wait. I know that, Bella. But, look, answer me this, all right? Do you want me to go away and never see you again? Be honest.† It was hard to concentrate on his question, so it took a minute to answer. â€Å"No, I don't want that,† I finally admitted. Jacob grinned again. â€Å"See.† â€Å"But I don't want you around for the same reason that you want me around,† I objected. â€Å"Tell me exactly why you want me around, then.† I thought carefully. â€Å"I miss you when you're not there. When you're happy,† I qualified carefully, â€Å"it makes me happy. But I could say the same thing about Charlie, Jacob. You're family. I love you, but I'm not in love with you.† He nodded, unruffled. â€Å"But you do want me around.† â€Å"Yes.† I sighed. He was impossible to discourage. â€Å"Then I'll stick around.† â€Å"You're a glutton for punishment,† I grumbled. â€Å"Yep.† He stroked the tips of his fingers across my right cheek. I slapped his hand away. â€Å"Do you think you could behave yourself a little better, at least?† I asked, irritated. â€Å"No, I don't. You decide, Bella. You can have me the way I am – bad behavior included – or not at all.† I stared at him, frustrated. â€Å"That's mean.† â€Å"So are you.† That pulled me up short, and I took an involuntary step back. He was right. If I wasn't mean – and greedy, too – I would tell him I didn't want to be friends and walk away. It was wrong to try to keep my friend when that would hurt him. I didn't know what I was doing here, but I was suddenly sure that it wasn't good. â€Å"You're right,† I whispered. He laughed. â€Å"I forgive you. Just try not to get too mad at me. Because I recently decided that I'm not giving up. There really is something irresistible about a lost cause.† â€Å"Jacob.† I stared into his dark eyes, trying to make him take me seriously. â€Å"I love him, Jacob. He's my whole life.† â€Å"You love me, too,† he reminded me. He held up his hand when I started to protest. â€Å"Not the same way, I know. But he's not your whole life, either. Not anymore. Maybe he was once, but he left. And now he's just going to have to deal with the consequence of that choice – me.† I shook my head. â€Å"You're impossible.† Suddenly, he was serious. He took my chin in his hand, holding it firmly so that I couldn't look away from his intent gaze. â€Å"Until your heart stops beating, Bella,† he said. â€Å"I'll be here – fighting. Don't forget that you have options.† â€Å"I don't want options,† I disagreed, trying to yank my chin free unsuccessfully. â€Å"And my heartbeats are numbered, Jacob. The time is almost gone.† His eyes narrowed. â€Å"All the more reason to fight – fight harder now, while I can,† he whispered. He still had my chin – his fingers holding too tight, till it hurt – and I saw the resolve form abruptly in his eyes. â€Å"N -† I started to object, but it was too late. His lips crushed mine, stopping my protest. He kissed me angrily, roughly, his other hand gripping tight around the back of my neck, making escape impossible. I shoved against his chest with all my strength, but he didn't even seem to notice. His mouth was soft, despite the anger, his lips molding to mine in a warm, unfamiliar way. I grabbed at his face, trying to push it away, failing again. He seemed to notice this time, though, and it aggravated him. His lips forced mine open, and I could feel his hot breath in my mouth. Acting on instinct, I let my hands drop to my side, and shut down. I opened my eyes and didn't fight, didn't feel . . . just waited for him to stop. It worked. The anger seemed to evaporate, and he pulled back to look at me. He pressed his lips softly to mine again, once, twice . . . a third time. I pretended I was a statue and waited. Finally, he let go of my face and leaned away. â€Å"Are you done now?† I asked in an expressionless voice. â€Å"Yes,† he sighed. He started to smile, closing his eyes. I pulled my arm back and then let it snap forward, punching him in the mouth with as much power as I could force out of my body. There was a crunching sound. â€Å"Ow! OW!† I screamed, frantically hopping up and down in agony while I clutched my hand to my chest. It was broken, I could feel it. Jacob stared at me in shock. â€Å"Are you all right?† â€Å"No, dammit! You broke my hand!† â€Å"Bella, you broke your hand. Now stop dancing around and let me look at it.† â€Å"Don't touch me! I'm going home right now!† â€Å"I'll get my car,† he said calmly. He wasn't even rubbing his jaw like they did in the movies. How pathetic. â€Å"No, thanks,† I hissed. â€Å"I'd rather walk.† I turned toward the road. It was only a few miles to the border. As soon as I got away from him, Alice would see me. She'd send somebody to pick me up. â€Å"Just let me drive you home,† Jacob insisted. Unbelievably, he had the nerve to wrap his arm around my waist. I jerked away from him. â€Å"Fine!† I growled. â€Å"Do! I can't wait to see what Edward does to you! I hope he snaps your neck, you pushy, obnoxious, moronic DOG!† Jacob rolled his eyes. He walked me to the passenger side of his car and helped me in. When he got in the driver's side, he was whistling. â€Å"Didn't I hurt you at all?† I asked, furious and annoyed. â€Å"Are you kidding? If you hadn't started screaming, I might not have figured out that you were trying to punch me. I may not be made out of stone, but I'm not that soft.† â€Å"I hate you, Jacob Black.† â€Å"That's good. Hate is a passionate emotion.† â€Å"I'll give you passionate,† I muttered under my breath. â€Å"Murder, the ultimate crime of passion.† â€Å"Oh, c'mon,† he said, all cheery and looking like he was about to start whistling again. â€Å"That had to be better than kissing a rock.† â€Å"Not even remotely close,† I told him coldly. He pursed his lips. â€Å"You could just be saying that.† â€Å"But I'm not.† That seemed to bother him for a second, but then he perked up. â€Å"You're just mad. I don't have any experience with this kind of thing, but I thought it was pretty incredible myself.† â€Å"Ugh,† I groaned. â€Å"You're going to think about it tonight. When he thinks you're asleep, you'll be thinking about your options.† â€Å"If I think about you tonight, it will be because I'm having a nightmare.† He slowed the car to a crawl, turning to stare at me with his dark eyes wide and earnest. â€Å"Just think about how it could be, Bella,† he urged in a soft, eager voice. â€Å"You wouldn't have to change anything for me. You know Charlie would be happy if you picked me. I could protect you just as well as your vampire can – maybe better. And I would make you happy, Bella. There's so much I could give you that he can't. I'll bet he couldn't even kiss you like that – because he would hurt you. I would never, never hurt you, Bella.† I held up my injured hand. He sighed. â€Å"That wasn't my fault. You should have known better.† â€Å"Jacob, I can't be happy without him.† â€Å"You've never tried,† he disagreed. â€Å"When he left, you spent all your energy holding on to him. You could be happy if you let go. You could be happy with me.† â€Å"I don't want to be happy with anyone but him,† I insisted. â€Å"You'll never be able to be as sure of him as you are of me. He left you once, he could do it again.† â€Å"No, he will not,† I said through my teeth. The pain of the memory bit into me like the lash of a whip. It made me want to hurt him back. â€Å"You left me once,† I reminded him in a cold voice, thinking of the weeks he'd hidden from me, the words he'd said to me in the woods beside his home. . . . â€Å"I never did,† he argued hotly. â€Å"They told me I couldn't tell you – that it wasn't safe for you if we were together. But I never left, never! I used to run around your house at night – like I do now. Just making sure you were okay.† I wasn't about to let him make me feel bad for him now. â€Å"Take me home. My hand hurts.† He sighed, and started driving at a normal speed, watching the road. â€Å"Just think about it, Bella.† â€Å"No,† I said stubbornly. â€Å"You will. Tonight. And I'll be thinking about you while you're thinking about me.† â€Å"Like I said, a nightmare.† He grinned over at me. â€Å"You kissed me back.† I gasped, unthinkingly balling my hands up into fists again, hissing when my broken hand reacted. â€Å"Are you okay?† he asked. â€Å"I did not.† â€Å"I think I can tell the difference.† â€Å"Obviously you can't – that was not kissing back, that was trying to get you the hell off of me, you idiot.† He laughed a low, throaty laugh. â€Å"Touchy. Almost overly defensive, I would say.† I took a deep breath. There was no point in arguing with him; he would twist anything I said. I concentrated on my hand, trying to stretch out my fingers, to ascertain where the broken parts were. Sharp pains stabbed along my knuckles. I groaned. â€Å"I'm really sorry about your hand,† Jacob said, sounding almost sincere. â€Å"Next time you want to hit me, use a baseball bat or a crowbar, okay?† â€Å"Don't think I'll forget that,† I muttered. I didn't realize where we were going until we were on my road. â€Å"Why are you taking me here?† I demanded. He looked at me blankly. â€Å"I thought you said you were going home?† â€Å"Ugh. I guess you can't take me to Edward's house, can you?† I ground my teeth in frustration. Pain twisted across his face, and I could see that this affected him more than anything else I'd said. â€Å"This is your home, Bella,† he said quietly. â€Å"Yes, but do any doctors live here?† I asked, holding up my hand again. â€Å"Oh.† He thought about that for a minute. â€Å"I'll take you to the hospital. Or Charlie can.† â€Å"I don't want to go to the hospital. It's embarrassing and unnecessary.† He let the Rabbit idle in front of the house, deliberating with an unsure expression. Charlie's cruiser was in the driveway. I sighed. â€Å"Go home, Jacob.† I climbed out of the car awkwardly, heading for the house. The engine cut off behind me, and I was less surprised than annoyed to find Jacob beside me again. â€Å"What are you going to do?† he asked. â€Å"I am going to get some ice on my hand, and then I am going to call Edward and tell him to come and get me and take me to Carlisle so that he can fix my hand. Then, if you're still here, I am going to go hunt up a crowbar.† He didn't answer. He opened the front door and held it for me. We walked silently past the front room where Charlie was lying on the sofa. â€Å"Hey, kids,† he said, sitting forward. â€Å"Nice to see you here, Jake.† â€Å"Hey, Charlie,† Jacob answered casually, pausing. I stalked on to the kitchen. â€Å"What's wrong with her?† Charlie wondered. â€Å"She thinks she broke her hand,† I heard Jacob tell him. I went to the freezer and pulled out a tray of ice cubes. â€Å"How did she do that?† As my father, I thought Charlie ought to sound a bit less amused and a bit more concerned. Jacob laughed. â€Å"She hit me.† Charlie laughed, too, and I scowled while I beat the tray against the edge of the sink. The ice scattered inside the basin, and I grabbed a handful with my good hand and wrapped the cubes in the dishcloth on the counter. â€Å"Why did she hit you?† â€Å"Because I kissed her,† Jacob said, unashamed. â€Å"Good for you, kid,† Charlie congratulated him. I ground my teeth and went for the phone. I dialed Edward's cell. â€Å"Bella?† he answered on the first ring. He sounded more than relieved – he was delighted. I could hear the Volvo's engine in the background; he was already in the car – that was good. â€Å"You left the phone . . . I'm sorry, did Jacob drive you home?† â€Å"Yes,† I grumbled. â€Å"Will you come and get me, please?† â€Å"I'm on my way,† he said at once. â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"I want Carlisle to look at my hand. I think it's broken.† It had gone quiet in the front room, and I wondered when Jacob would bolt. I smiled a grim smile, imagining his discomfort. â€Å"What happened?† Edward demanded, his voice going flat. â€Å"I punched Jacob,† I admitted. â€Å"Good,† Edward said bleakly. â€Å"Though I'm sorry you're hurt.† I laughed once, because he sounded as pleased as Charlie had. â€Å"I wish I'd hurt him.† I sighed in frustration. â€Å"I didn't do any damage at all.† â€Å"I can fix that,† he offered. â€Å"I was hoping you would say that.† There was a slight pause. â€Å"That doesn't sound like you,† he said, wary now. â€Å"What did he do?† â€Å"He kissed me,† I growled. All I heard on the other end of the line was the sound of an engine accelerating. In the other room, Charlie spoke again. â€Å"Maybe you ought to take off, Jake,† he suggested. â€Å"I think I'll hang out here, if you don't mind.† â€Å"Your funeral,† Charlie muttered. â€Å"Is the dog still there?† Edward finally spoke again. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I'm around the corner,† he said darkly, and the line disconnected. As I hung up the phone, smiling, I heard the sound of his car racing down the street. The brakes protested loudly as he slammed to a stop out front. I went to get the door. â€Å"How's your hand?† Charlie asked as I walked by. Charlie looked uncomfortable. Jacob lolled next to him on the sofa, perfectly at ease. I lifted the ice pack to show it off. â€Å"It's swelling.† â€Å"Maybe you should pick on people your own size,† Charlie suggested. â€Å"Maybe,† I agreed. I walked on to open the door. Edward was waiting. â€Å"Let me see,† he murmured. He examined my hand gently, so carefully that it caused me no pain at all. His hands were almost as cold as the ice, and they felt good against my skin. â€Å"I think you're right about the break,† he said. â€Å"I'm proud of you. You must have put some force behind this.† â€Å"As much as I have.† I sighed. â€Å"Not enough, apparently.† He kissed my hand softly. â€Å"I'll take care of it,† he promised. And then he called, â€Å"Jacob,† his voice still quiet and even. â€Å"Now, now,† Charlie cautioned. I heard Charlie heave himself off of the sofa. Jacob got to the hall first, and much more quietly, but Charlie was not far behind him. Jacob's expression was alert and eager. â€Å"I don't want any fighting, do you understand?† Charlie looked only at Edward when he spoke. â€Å"I can go put my badge on if that makes my request more official.† â€Å"That won't be necessary,† Edward said in a restrained tone. â€Å"Why don't you arrest me, Dad?† I suggested. â€Å"I'm the one throwing punches.† Charlie raised an eyebrow. â€Å"Do you want to press charges, Jake?† â€Å"No.† Jacob grinned, incorrigible. â€Å"I'll take the trade any day.† Edward grimaced. â€Å"Dad, don't you have a baseball bat somewhere in your room? I want to borrow it for a minute.† Charlie looked at me evenly. â€Å"Enough, Bella.† â€Å"Let's go have Carlisle look at your hand before you wind up in a jail cell,† Edward said. He put his arm around me and pulled me toward the door. â€Å"Fine,† I said, leaning against him. I wasn't so angry anymore, now that Edward was with me. I felt comforted, and my hand didn't bother me as much. We were walking down the sidewalk when I heard Charlie whispering anxiously behind me. â€Å"What are you doing? Are you crazy?† â€Å"Give me a minute, Charlie,† Jacob answered. â€Å"Don't worry, I'll be right back.† I looked back and Jacob was following us, stopping to close the door in Charlie's surprised and uneasy face. Edward ignored him at first, leading me to the car. He helped me inside, shut the door, and then turned to face Jacob on the sidewalk. I leaned anxiously through the open window. Charlie was visible in the house, peeking through the drapes in the front room. Jacob's stance was casual, his arms folded across his chest, but the muscles in his jaw were tight. Edward spoke in a voice so peaceful and gentle that it made the words strangely more threatening. â€Å"I'm not going to kill you now, because it would upset Bella.† â€Å"Hmph,† I grumbled. Edward turned slightly to throw me a quick smile. His face was still calm. â€Å"It would bother you in the morning,† he said, brushing his fingers across my cheek. Then he turned back to Jacob. â€Å"But if you ever bring her back damaged again – and I don't care whose fault it is; I don't care if she merely trips, or if a meteor falls out of the sky and hits her in the head – if you return her to me in less than the perfect condition that I left her in, you will be running with three legs. Do you understand that, mongrel?† Jacob rolled his eyes. â€Å"Who's going back?† I muttered. Edward continued as if he hadn't heard me. â€Å"And if you ever kiss her again, I will break your jaw for her,† he promised, his voice still gentle and velvet and deadly. â€Å"What if she wants me to?† Jacob drawled, arrogant. â€Å"Hah!† I snorted. â€Å"If that's what she wants, then I won't object.† Edward shrugged, untroubled. â€Å"You might want to wait for her to say it, rather than trust your interpretation of body language – but it's your face.† Jacob grinned. â€Å"You wish,† I grumbled. â€Å"Yes, he does,† Edward murmured. â€Å"Well, if you're done rummaging through my head,† Jacob said with a thick edge of annoyance, â€Å"why don't you go take care of her hand?† â€Å"One more thing,† Edward said slowly. â€Å"I'll be fighting for her, too. You should know that. I'm not taking anything for granted, and I'll be fighting twice as hard as you will.† â€Å"Good,† Jacob growled. â€Å"It's no fun beating someone who forfeits.† â€Å"She is mine.† Edward's low voice was suddenly dark, not as composed as before. â€Å"I didn't say I would fightfair.† â€Å"Neither did I.† â€Å"Best of luck.† Jacob nodded. â€Å"Yes, may the best man win.† â€Å"That sounds about right . . . pup.† Jacob grimaced briefly, then he composed his face and leaned around Edward to smile at me. I glowered back. â€Å"I hope your hand feels better soon. I'm really sorry you're hurt.† Childishly, I turned my face away from him. I didn't look up again as Edward walked around the car and climbed into the driver's side, so I didn't know if Jacob went back into the house or continued to stand there, watching me. â€Å"How do you feel?† Edward asked as we drove away. â€Å"Irritated.† He chuckled. â€Å"I meant your hand.† I shrugged. â€Å"I've had worse.† â€Å"True,† he agreed, and frowned. Edward drove around the house to the garage. Emmett and Rosalie were there, Rosalie's perfect legs, recognizable even sheathed in jeans, were sticking out from under the bottom of Emmett's huge Jeep. Emmett was sitting beside her, one hand reached under the Jeep toward her. It took me a moment to realize that he was acting as the jack. Emmett watched curiously as Edward helped me carefully out of the car. His eyes zeroed in on the hand I cradled against my chest. Emmett grinned. â€Å"Fall down again, Bella?† I glared at him fiercely. â€Å"No, Emmett. I punched a werewolf in the face.† Emmett blinked, and then burst into a roar of laughter. As Edward led me past them, Rosalie spoke from under the car. â€Å"Jasper's going to win the bet,† she said smugly. Emmett's laughter stopped at once, and he studied me with appraising eyes. â€Å"What bet?† I demanded, pausing. â€Å"Let's get you to Carlisle,† Edward urged. He was staring at Emmett. His head shook infinitesimally. â€Å"What bet?† I insisted as I turned on him. â€Å"Thanks, Rosalie,† he muttered as he tightened his arm around my waist and pulled me toward the house. â€Å"Edward . . . ,† I grumbled. â€Å"It's infantile,† he shrugged. â€Å"Emmett and Jasper like to gamble.† â€Å"Emmett will tell me.† I tried to turn, but his arm was like iron around me. He sighed. â€Å"They're betting on how many times you . . . slip up in the first year.† â€Å"Oh.† I grimaced, trying to hide my sudden horror as I realized what he meant. â€Å"They have a bet about how many people I'll kill?† â€Å"Yes,† he admitted unwillingly. â€Å"Rosalie thinks your temper will turn the odds in Jasper's favor.† I felt a little high. â€Å"Jasper's betting high.† â€Å"It will make him feel better if you have a hard time adjusting. He's tired of being the weakest link.† â€Å"Sure. Of course it will. I guess I could throw in a few extra homicides, if it makes Jasper happy. Why not?† I was babbling, my voice a blank monotone. In my head, I was seeing newspaper headlines, lists of names. . . . He squeezed me. â€Å"You don't need to worry about it now. In fact, you don't have to worry about it ever, if you don't want to.† I groaned, and Edward, thinking it was the pain in my hand that bothered me, pulled me faster toward the house. My hand was broken, but there wasn't any serious damage, just a tiny fissure in one knuckle. I didn't want a cast, and Carlisle said I'd be fine in a brace if I promised to keep it on. I promised. Edward could tell I was out of it as Carlisle worked to fit a brace carefully to my hand. He worried aloud a few times that I was in pain, but I assured him that that wasn't it. As if I needed – or even had room for – one more thing to worry about. All of Jasper's stories about newly created vampires had been percolating in my head since he'd explained his past. Now those stories jumped into sharp focus with the news of his and Emmett's wager. I wondered randomly what they were betting. What was a motivating prize when you had everything? I'd always known that I would be different. I hoped that I would be as strong as Edward said I would be. Strong and fast and, most of all, beautiful. Someone who could stand next to Edward and feel like she belonged there. I'd been trying not to think too much about the other things that I would be. Wild. Bloodthirsty. Maybe I would not be able to stop myself from killing people. Strangers, people who had never harmed me. People like the growing number of victims in Seattle, who'd had families and friends and futures. People who'd had lives. And I could be the monster who took that away from them. But, in truth, I could handle that part – because I trusted Edward, trusted him absolutely, to keep me from doing anything I would regret. I knew he'd take me to Antarctica and hunt penguins if I asked him to. And I would do whatever it took to be a good person. A good vampire. That thought would have made me giggle, if not for this new worry. Because, if I really were somehow like that – like the nightmarish images of newborns that Jasper had painted in my head – could I possibly be me? And if all I wanted was to kill people, what would happen to the things I wanted now? Edward was so obsessed with me not missing anything while I was human. Usually, it seemed kind of silly. There weren't many human experiences that I worried about missing. As long as I got to be with Edward, what else could I ask for? I stared at his face while he watched Carlisle fix my hand. There was nothing in this world that I wanted more than him. Would that, could that, change? Was there a human experience that I was not willing to give up?

Islam s Impact On Modern Day - 2125 Words

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) stated that a re-newer or Islam will arise during every century (This part is a little bit unclear, you might have to define what â€Å"re-newer† is), Throughout the course of history, many influential thinkers and intellects arose during several eras and have left a profound impact on modern day (optional to add this if it sounds better) Islam. During the 5th Islamic century, Imam Al Ghazali became one of the most influential thinkers in the history of Islam. Born in Persia, Al- Ghazali lost the shadow of his father early in his life, as at a young age his father had passed away. Al Ghazali’s fathers’ desire had always been for his sons to become scholars and pious people, therefore he had left them in the hands of close friend that took responsibility of teaching them. Ghazali underwent many years of education from several different Imams (You might have to define what an imam is†¦in order to make it clearer), including Imam Al-Juwa yni ( give a brief description of what he was famous for?), through which he was able to join the school of Nizam Al Mulk. After many years of studying and gaining immense knowledge, he was appointed as a teacher of the Nizam school in which he began his teaching career. Al- Ghazali was able to master all of the intellectual tools needed to†¦, along with mastering knowledge at young age; overall, he was rhetoric in both Arabic and Persian. After spending many years teaching, he became obsessed about himself(This part is aShow MoreRelatedIslam’S Nationalism, Ethnicity, And Religion . Since The1469 Words   |  6 Pagesthe biggest and most known religions in modern day. However, if we compare the two we can see that they are different, but similar in many aspects and backgrounds. 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The Religion of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia has long been regarded as one of the most religious countries in the world, constantly drawing visitors from all of the predominately Muslim countries. Saudi Arabia is home to Mecca, which is deeply rooted in the Muslim faith. One of the Pillars of Islam requires all who may, make a pilgrimage to Mecca and complete seven rotations aroundRead MoreSimilarities Between Islam And Christianity1619 Words   |  7 Pagessimilar beginnings, Islam is a religion of violence and Christianity is a religion of peace and therefore is more beneficial to society. It is important to understand the similarities between Islam and Christianity, specifically their origins, to better understand their differences. Islam is believed to have been started through the descendants of Abraham, a man who was considered a prophet of God in both Islam and Christianity. Many historians and theologians agree that Islam began through the lineageRead MoreThe Sharia Law And Islamic Law872 Words   |  4 Pageshelp Islamic law become what people know of it today. Many people live under this legal system that is based on Islam which some private parts of life are controlled. The Islamic law is the sacred legal system prevailing the members of the Islamic belief. This one is resulting from the religious principles of Islam, mainly the Quran and the Hadith. However, Sharia law is the law of Islam, This law is originally based on the actions and words of Muhammad, which are named Sunnah, and the Quran, thatRead MoreThe Difference Between Muslims And Maranaos1444 Word s   |  6 Pagesfirst muslim missionaries came to preach Islam and the people in Bumbaran refused to be converted, as the entire kingdom sank there were only four people who survived and became the ancestors of today’s maranao.(Darangen 1980) Background of the Muslims The word Muslim Means that the one who give in to the will of God. (Suzanne Haneef 2001) There were three hundred eighty four muslim women who practice the 5 pillars of islam namely fasting, praying five times a day, pilgrimage to Mecca, ‘jihad’ and charity